


Unfortunate Circumstances (Ace x Reader; College AU)

by AlberonaRJ



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, F/M, Lemon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2019-09-26 05:35:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17135951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlberonaRJ/pseuds/AlberonaRJ
Summary: A girl with no past and a boy with a past he's trying to escape meet. What will happen when they're paired up for a semester-long project?WARNING! Mature content!A/N:  This is a Fanfic I started back in high school and have decided to pick back up. My writing style may have changed a bit.





	1. Intro.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is a fanfic I haven't messed with for a long time. I started it back in high school and haven't messed with in over a year. The chapters have been heavily edited (I strongly advise you to NOT look for the original, unedited chapters) and slight story changes have been made.
> 
> Hopefully, it isn't too bad and hopefully people like it enough for me to continue to update it.

 

 

Here it was: the first day of the second semester of your freshman year. The winter break had been unfortunately short...and here you were.

Currently, you were in your last class of the day, and you were typing away on your laptop, trying to catch everything important from the professor's lecture. After all, you had already introduced yourself as a freshman (in a sophomore-level class) in the Honors Program, you had to maintain the intellectual honors student image.

Everything so far was a basic overview of the curriculum and what is to be expected of you in a creative writing class. Other than, you know, the ability to write.

The professor looked around. "Also, I would prefer it if none of you were to play on your phones during class. They can charge  _face-down_  on the tables, but I will ask you to put them away if you continue to look at them." He gave a soft, pleasant smile and looked around the class before frowning again. "We are not off to a good start, Ace. You're already messing around on your phone when I just asked the class not to."

Glancing over in the direction that the professor was looking, you saw a freckled guy with dark chin-length hair. If you were being honest with yourself, he was fairly attractive. The t-shirt and hoodie he was wearing fit snuggly around his broad shoulders, giving hints to the muscles hidden beneath it.

You already didn't like him.

His black eyes sparkled with mischief. His looks and demeanor read "trouble."

He flashed the professor an award-winning smile and put his phone in his pocket, "Sorry, Professor Mihawk."

Oh, you definitely didn't like him. Looking back to the screen of your laptop, you continued to take notes on what the professor was saying. Him, unlike that Ace guy, you liked. He was pleasant, but serious and confident, having control over his classroom: your favorite kind of professor.

"One last thing," He started, before it was time to move on to the actual teaching. "At the end of the year, we will not be having an official final. Instead, you will be submitting a full-length novelette that you should be working on for the duration of the semester." Cue full-class groan. You looked around, no one else seemed to be as intrigued about the assignment as you. "It should be fiction, but other than that, the genre and events are up to you." The professor looked down at the syllabus in front of him, and then looked up. His expression bordered vexation. "Please make sure it is classroom appropriate, though."

A small chuckle rippled through the class and you couldn't help but smile, as well.

"Of course, I wouldn't ask you to work on such a big project by yourselves, therefore you will have partners. But I will be assigning them."

Scowling, you looked around the class casually, trying to see if there was anyone that you specifically didn't want to work with. Not that you wanted to work with  _anyone_  in any case. Group-work was not your cup of tea. Your eyes settled on that guy, Ace, who was chatting with the guy next to him. Not him. Definitely not him. He looked like the kind of guy who not only slacks off completely letting his partner do all the work, but also the kind of guy who never shows up to class. Scowl growing ever more pronounced, you faced the professor once more.

He started to call on pairs of students, and you sat, half-holding your breath, hoping against all hope that the professor would call on anyone but that Ace guy for your partner.

"Nami and Zoro."

You sat frozen in your chair. The number of students was slowly whittling down, and Ace was one of the few left that had not been assigned a partner.

_No, no, no, no!_

The unpicked group of students was down to four, and the only ones left were two girls whose names you had not caught and Ace.

"(Y/n)-" The professor said, and your eyes shot up to him, mentally pleading that he wasn't about to choose Ace. "...and Ace."

_Fuck_.


	2. Coffee and Scarves

 

 

"Now, I would like it if you found a seat next to your partners. These will be your seats for the rest of the semester."

You sat in your almost empty front row, scowling at the keyboard. No, you refused to meet his eyes and you were not sitting all the way in the back. If you had to suffer through his presence, you would do it on your terms.

Before you saw him in your peripheral sight, you heard him sigh and then the squeak of the chair as he pulled it out from under the table. Looking up, you gave him a blank look devoid of all emotion.

"Did you really have to ignore me? Do I really have to sit all the way up front?" He asked, sighing some more.

As your brows dipped down toward your eyes, your expression easily transitioned from blank to a cool, even glare.

"Yes." You had to try not to sound as disdainful as possible.

Ace gave you an amused look. "Why am I getting the feeling you hate me?"

"Well, let's think about it logically. I like getting good grades, I need to get good grades. This novelette is 30% of our grade, and you don't look like the type to-" You paused briefly, trying to keep your language PG for once. "-care. As a matter of fact, you look exactly like the type who would often cut class; and you also seem like the kind of person who lets his partner do all the work."

Ace said nothing, his previously amused grin looking more and more irked with every word that came out of your mouth.

"So...?"

"As such, either you show up to class and do what is required of you. Or I'm demanding a new partner. Right now."

"I'll show up, calm down."

"And?" You quirked a brow at him.

Ace gave you a lengthy sigh, which only made your glare more pronounced.

"I'll do my share of the work."

"Good." You said, having just now noticed that you were leaning forward, and promptly sat back, looking at anything but him.

"Why do you care so much?" He asked, after a moment.

Your eyes reluctantly slid back towards him, and you sighed. "I need to keep my grades up to keep my scholarship and my seat in the Honors Program."

Ace nodded. "Alright then."

At least now he partially understood why you were being such a hard-ass. But he still didn't get why you were so intense about this; you didn't exactly look like you had trouble keeping up.

"Now that everyone has gotten to know their partners, I shall give you your first assignment." Professor Mihawk spoke up.

Your attention glided back to the professor.

"I want a proposal for your novelette due next Thursday. So, you have a little over a week. I want a basic plot - or at least, an idea for one - and your main cast of characters." With that, the professor went back to whatever he had been scribbling on and left you all to your own devices for the last fifteen minutes of class.

"So, how are we doing this?" You asked.

"I dunno." Ace responded with a shrug of his shoulders.

You scowled. "Over Skype, then, perhaps?"

"Nah."

Looking over at him, your scowl grew more pronounced. "And why not? It's efficient and we don't have to spend any more time together than we have to."

"I don't have anything planned for this weekend and I'd rather not be home. So why not just meet up at your place and work on this then?"

You rubbed the bridge of your nose, trying not to lose your patience, while that was proving ever more difficult. "Fine! But not at my place. Somewhere else."

Ace gave you a flirtatious smirk. "Scared of what will happen when we're alone?"

A blank expression overtook your features again. "Hardly. I just don't want you to disturb my grandmother." You took a moment to think. "There's a cafe near my place. We'll meet up there. If it gets too loud, then we'll move somewhere quieter. But only as a last resort."

You grabbed your binder and opened it to a clean page, scribbling the name and address of the cafe down on it. Then, you proceeded to irritably rip it out and begrudgingly hand it to Ace. "You will meet me there at 10 A.M." You said.

"Sure thing."

With that, things became quiet between the two of you. You were happy he didn't make an effort to converse with you.

You sat in front of your laptop, staring blankly at it. You didn't even know what you wanted to write. You stayed frozen and dead to the world for the remaining fifteen minutes before the professor called for dismissal.

"See you at the café." He grinned, grabbing his hoodie and backpack before leaving the classroom. You stared after him for a moment before packing your laptop away.

 

 

The next morning before class you decided to meet up with Nami and Robin at a café close to campus for breakfast.

"So, you got paired up with one of Luffy's attractive friends...and you're complaining?" Nami asked after a moment. Her orange hair was pulled into a pony tail and it swished to the side as she angled her head.

"He is the very definition of a slacker! He probably won't do any of the work unless I force him to! I won't be able to write a full-length novelette,  _and_  keep up with my classes,  _and_  do all the honors shit,  _and_ babysit him!" You huffed as Nami took a sip of her coffee.

"You micromanage too much." She concluded.

"So you've said before."

"If he wants to meet up in person, what is the issue? Won't everything be easier that way?" Robin asked.

Sighing, you said. "Yes. In theory. But he's frustrating!"

"Frustrating perhaps, but he could be worse." Nami commented.

"True. He could be a moss-ball who doesn't know his left from his right." You teased, a playful smirk made its way to your lips.

Nami huffed and slapped your arm, while Robin just chuckled.

"He may be a little dense, but he's actually pretty knowledgeable on certain topics." Nami defended.

"Such as fighting and manliness?" You said with a chuckle.

Nami swatted you again. "History, Asian history in particular." Nami growled out. "He's also pretty decent at psychology."

"Relax hun, I'm just poking fun at you and your boyfriend."

Robin took a sip from her tea. "True. You would tease (y/n) if the situation were reversed."

"I would never... because little Miss Honors Student is too busy and too stuck up to even notice how lucky she is to be working with an attractive guy." Nami deadpanned.

You leaned back in your chair rolling your eyes. "I'll admit he's attractive. But personality-wise, he's not my type."

"Well, you know what they say: opposites attract." Nami shrugged.

"Well,  _they_  are dumb. How am I supposed to get along with someone whom I want to throttle every time I speak to him?"

"Kinky." Nami remarked with a smirk, causing you to swat her.

Robin sighed. "Then just ask the professor for a new partner. Stop making such a big deal out of this. It's really not worth it to fray your nerves any more than they've been frayed."

You shrugged and squirmed about in your seat. "I don't want to make a hassle."

"Then deal with it." Nami replied.

They had a point. "I guess."

"Good, now that that is resolved...are you going to finish that croissant?" Nami inquired.

Chuckling, you rolled your eyes and pushed the napkin that was housing your half-eaten strawberry croissant over to Nami. Just at that moment, you heard the door to the cafe open and felt a burst of frigid air invade the warm premises. Since you were facing that door, you saw who walked in. And who else could it be but your novelette-writing partner? He was with the guy he was sitting next to in class - one with a mess of blond hair on his head.

You stared with a slack-jawed expression. Of  _all_  the fucking places around your school, he had to come here?!

"(Y/n), what's wrong?" Nami asked, having just finished the croissant.

"He's here."

"Who?" Robin asked, a frown settling on both your friends faces.

"Ace." You groaned.

As soon as you uttered his name, they both whipped around to look towards the entrance of the café.

"You guys are being too obvious!" You hissed.

"Sabo's with him." Robin observed.

The guy with blond hair, Sabo, whose ears were red from the cold, nudged Ace and inclined his head in your direction, saying something. Instantly, you looked down at your coffee, pretending that you hadn't just been staring at them. For a few moments, you were still, but then when you risked a glance up, Ace was approaching you.

"Fancy meeting you here." He grinned.

"Hi." You responded in a bored tone.

Frowning at your dry response, Ace turned to Nami and Robin. "Hey you two! How's it going?"

"Hey Ace." Nami greeted cheerfully. "(Y/n) was just talking about you."

Your eyes widened in horror as you looked at your orange-haired friend.

Ace raised his brow. "Well, I'm flattered." He glanced over at you glaring daggers at Nami and smirked in amusement before you trained that glare on him.

"She's not said anything nice about you though. She's mostly been venting about what a pain in the ass you are, in her opinion." Robin declared, being as calm and straight-forward as ever. While that was true, he didn't need to know that.

"Ouch, that's harsh, (y/n)."

"It's the truth." You muttered.

"Sabo and I stopped by to get some breakfast. You ladies wouldn't mind if we joined you, right?"

"Yes-" You answered just as Nami and Robin spoke. "Of course not."

"Great," Ace gave his award-winning smile and walked back to the counter to order something.

"What the  _fuck_  do you think you guys are doing?" You hissed, leaning over the table some.

"Giving you an opportunity to get to know your partner better. I know you think he's a slacker, but he's a pretty chill guy. I'm sure he won't be so bad if you just got to know him a little more... preferably in a non-classroom environment." Nami offered.

Giving your friends the most skeptical look that you could muster, you shook your head, "He just wants to mess with me and you're fucking helping him. That's all."

"Well, since you don't want to 'make a hassle' and change partners, you'll have to attempt being friendly. Besides, he's pretty nice."

"No, he seems like a...a hooligan!"

"Are you fifty?" Nami deadpanned.

"I might as well be." You grumbled, crossing your hands over your chest.

You all sat in silence until Ace showed up with Sabo and sat down at the booth that you all had occupied. Naturally, Ace sat next to you, while his blond friend sat next to Nami and Robin.

"This is Sabo." Ace grinned over at you as he gestured to the blonde man.

"Nice to meet you." He smiled pleasantly at you, while you muttered a quick hello.

You were feeling rather irked about the current situation. It seemed as though your friends were hell bent on getting you to see Ace as a nice guy.

_They always seem nice and charming at first..._

Your friends happily chatted with the two males, talking about some sort of party that occurred over break. Ace tried to get you into the conversation, as did the others, but neither of their efforts were very effective, and you ended up sitting in the corner, as far as you could from Ace. Besides, how could you talk ardently about a party you never attended?

"It's so hot in here," Ace said, addressing you, "Why are you wearing so much? At least take the scarf off."

"Leave her alone about the scarf. She likes wearing it," Nami responded for you, facial expression much calmer than her eyes were. Having known you since freshman year of high school, she knew about the therapy visits and what was hidden under your scarf... and under your shirt.

"Jeez, I didn't mean anything by it," Ace said easily, but the smile was forced. He realized that there was more to the scarf than you were willing to share.

"It's fine." You whispered.

Ace returned to the conversation that they were having before, but he would periodically glance over to you. Something that did not go unnoticed by neither you nor the other girls.

Suddenly, you were more so interested in getting the hell out and going home. Nami, knowing you very well for as long as you can remember (quite literally) quickly realized your discomfort.

"Alright, guys." She said as she finished her coffee. "I have to head home. Robin, (Y/n), let's get going."

"S-sure." You muttered and looked over to Ace, refusing to make eye-contact. "Can you please move?"

Why were you acting so subdued? Before, you had no problem insulting him and glaring at him, but now you were acting so...scared? Ace stood, giving you a reassuring smile, "See you on Tuesday then."

Nodding, you didn't say anything, but waved instead, all the while still refusing to make eye-contact. Nami grabbed your arm once you put on your coat and led you out of the café, Robin in tow.

"That was weird." Sabo remarked.

"Yeah..." Ace said.

Ace had found it odd that your friends, Nami in particular, kept speaking for you, but he had said nothing. There was clearly a line here that he could not cross if he wanted to find out anything about you, and that he did. The longer he spent around you, the more you intrigued him.

Clearly, there was a lot more to you than he initially thought.


	3. When Pictures Mock

 

 

And so, you sat, waiting in the café agreed upon, with no Ace in sight. You gritted your teeth, trying to calm down before you started to verbally assault the innocent people sitting next to you for chattering a bit too loudly. If there was something you, without a doubt, hated, then it was waiting, and that was exactly what that freckle-faced raven was making you do. He was going to get it.

Scowling in the general direction of the door, you continued to wait for your partner, before deciding that you wouldn't have to deal with him for as long if you got some of the work done now. As your fingers started to click-clack away at the keyboard, you felt a presence, and you looked up, narrowing your eyes at the intruder.

"You're late."

"Only by fifteen minutes." Ace shrugged, removing his jacket and sitting down across from you.

"When you pester me into meeting you in person during the weekend, I expect you to be here on time. Not late." You said spitefully.

"Calm down." Ace rolled his eyes at you, not liking being scolded for something that he had no control over.

His father was the one that made him late, delaying him until the last possible minute. That aggravating man was always trying to make his life harder. But, it was nice to see you all angry with him again. Your subdued behavior at the other day was unsettling. He didn't know you very well, but there was something about you that he liked. Sabo and another friend thought that he was crazy for wanting to hang around you when you insisted on insulting him every chance you got, but Ace had his reasons.

"My dad was bugging me and made me late. Don't your parents do shit like that?"

"No." You responded, hoping he wouldn't question you further.

"Well lucky you."

Your eyebrow witched in annoyance as you opened your mouth, about to snap at him but decided against it. You really didn't want to go there, especially with  _him._

"Let's just work on our assignment." You mumbled.

Ace noted that you were acting subdued, again. And, just like last time, it was his fault. Fuck. Wasn't there some way to figure out what topics made you change so abruptly? He had two down already: your scarf, which you were wearing again today, and your parents.

"Can you give me a moment? I want to get a drink." He said, hoping for a scowl, or maybe a dismissive shrug, but you nodded slowly.

Seeing you like this felt wrong. Why did he care so much? It's not like he'd known you for very long. Ace met you less than a week ago. He gave the glass housing a collection of pastries a bitter smile - there was a reason why and he knew what the reason was, but it made him feel pathetic.

"Hey...I think you're in my Calc class." He heard a girl's voice, and he looked up, meeting the brown eyes of a green haired barista - her name tag read 'Camie'. Right then and there, Ace wasn't in the mood for this, but he still grinned and replied.

"Yeah, I think so. The clumsy Donquixote professor, yeah?"

"Yeah!" She agreed, smiling, a light blush dusting her cheeks. "You showed up late."

Ace shrugged. "It was my first class of the day and I don't like waking up early."

"You're Ace, right? Ace Gol?"

From your table, you heard Ace's voice, and looked in the direction of it, sighing as you noticed that he was flirting with some girl. You hated this - you just wanted to be alone right now. For a moment, you were distracted by a text from Nami.

**_'So how many times have you bitten Ace's head off by now?'_ **

However, before you could reply, some high-pitched giggling drew your attention back to Ace and the barista and their conversation.

"Is that your girlfriend?" You heard.

"No." Ace responded quietly.

"Oh, good!" She giggled.

You didn't care to continue listening. Conversations like those made you uncomfortable. Rolling your eyes, you began busying yourself, putting your earbuds in ears and filling them with music. Ed Sheeran was the perfect coffee and study music. The music was easy going, soft, and melodic, making it easy for you to stare at your laptop blankly, fingers ready to type but your mind a blank space.

Your face twisted into a pout as you picked up your nearby pencil and began twiddling it between your fingers; something you did when you were stumped and trying to think things through.

Ace sat down across from you. You didn't even notice his existence until he waved a hand in front of your face. Slowly, your eyes focused on him.

"Are you okay?" He asked as you took out one of the earbuds.

"Tired." You said, looking over to the front door of the cafe.

"So, what are we doing for the story?"

"Uh-hmm..." You were slow to respond, slow to look at him again; you didn't want to be here anymore. "I'm not sure. I thought about using an old idea of mine, something I haven't had the time to develop, but it's not that great."

"What is it about?" Ace asked, refusing to meet your gaze. He felt sick with himself; firstly, you shut down and secondly, when he spoke to the girl...well, she brought up things he would prefer you not knowing.

Instead of speaking, you opened an old document and shoved the laptop over to him. Sipping at your coffee, you waited as he read over the idea and basic layout of the story.

"It sounds good. Really good, actually."

You nodded and moved the laptop back into its original place. "So, you just want to use that?"

"I don't see why not." He responded.

"Then we just have to come up with characters."

"Ok, who would we need?"

"Well, the protagonist, her family, her friends, and an antagonist."

"Do you have an idea what you want any of them to be like?"

"Just the protagonist."

"Hm." He nodded and sipped his coffee. "So we still need the rest of the characters."

"Yeah." You felt a warmth settle back into you, the earlier ice was fading away. "Do you have any thoughts on the rest?"

 

_***Small Time-Skip***_

 

"I think we're done." Ace said.

"For now." You responded. He was glad to see that you weren't quite as silent as earlier, but you still weren't quite the same.

"So... what now?" He inquired.

"Now, you go to your house and I go to mine."

"Aw, come on. I don't want to go home yet." He whined, a pathetically cute pout forming on his face.

You gave him a cool look and the pout was instantly gone. "Then go hang around someone else - friends, strangers, the barista. I don't need you bothering my grandmother. She has enough things to worry about."

That again - that statement that made him strongly suspect that your parents were dead. "You live with your grandmother?"

"Yes."

"Must be tough; worrying about bothering her all the time."

"I don't bother her, but someone like you would."

"Well that's not very nice." He pouted again, his chocolate eyes making him look like a lost puppy.

You sighed, mentally shaking your head and turning your head away.

"I'm aware." You fiddled with your laptop as you got it back into your bag.

"Good-bye, Ace." You said, picking up your now much-heavier bag. "Do me a favor and leave me alone until Tuesday, yeah?"

He watched as you left, looking down at his coffee cup to avoid that barista who came back over to "check on him".

"Your dad is that lawyer, right? Roger Gol?" She asked.

"Yeah." Ace said, tone stiff. He had been expecting this ever since she made a point of saying his surname.

"My mom said that he is a defense attorney for a lot of bad people."

Jaw clenched, Ace nodded. He really, really, didn't want to talk about his father, and she just wasn't getting the hint.

"He owns a big law firm, doesn't he?"

Ace nodded again. Any conversation involving his father disgusted him.

Sighing, Ace stood and put his jacket on. He had been so sure that you heard what was said that he was beyond relieved to see you with your earbuds in your ears. Just the fact that you didn't know - or didn't care - about who he was greatly relieved him. Hopefully you won't learn about him for a good while.

People always treated him differently because his dad was so powerful and rich. They didn't care about him, they just sucked up to him to get a taste of his life. But you...you were more concerned about your grades and keeping your seat in honors and Ace liked that about you. He only had a few friends that he could speak to properly, Sabo and the others at Pop's place being some. He headed for the front door.

"Yeah." Ace heard your voice suddenly, and he stopped walking, looking around for you. Thankfully, you had your back to him. "He mentioned parents." Pausing for a moment, you listened to the voice on the other end of the conversation, and he burned to know who it was, and what was being said. You sighed, "Yeah, of course I shut down." After a few seconds, you responded, "Yes, Nami, I'll tell my therapist. You don't have to life coach me."

A therapist?

Well, at least he now knew who you were speaking with.

"I already said that I'd deal with him and we, surprisingly, got quite a bit of work done on our novella. I don't want to quit now."

Was Nami suggesting that you ask the professor for another partner? Probably. Right now, Ace didn't blame her; he felt bad enough about upsetting you those two times.

He didn't want to listen to any more; his day had been bad enough so far without having to add eavesdropping to the list. Heading over to his car, he sat in the driver's seat of his burnt orange Camaro. As he drove past, you noticed the expensive car, but brushed it off and went back to your conversation.

"You could always tell him to back off if he starts bugging you." Nami said.

"I could, but I just know he'll start asking questions I don't want to answer. Besides telling him to not ask anything personal will just make him more curious."

"You don't owe him or anyone an explanation. Besides, how do you know?"

"From interacting with him? For fuck's sake, it felt like he was fishing when he asked about my grandmother. 'Must be hard having to worry about bothering her all the time.'"

"Hmm, do you think he might suspect something?"

"I think he might."

"What will you tell him if he asks?"

"You mean if I don't shut down first?" You felt uncomfortable just talking about it, and this was with Nami, the person who had been your crutch for years.

"Yes."

"I...I don't know. How am I supposed to say that I don't have parents? That they died years ago and I hardly remember a damn thing about them?" Without noticing, your entire body started to shake. "How do I know he'll truly understand?" Your voice was beginning to tremble.

"You don't have to tell him all of that."

"I know - it's just..."

"Just?"

"I don't feel so good."

"Get home, alright? And call me if you need me?"

You nodded before you realized that she can't see you. "Uh, yeah... I-uh-I will."

"I love you, bye."

"Love y-you t-too, b-bye." You turned off the call and took a few deep, calming breaths before starting back home.

The walk home was short - when you had said that the cafe was nearby your house, you had been serious. After letting yourself into the small apartment and taking off your winter clothes, you shuffled over to your room, past the pictures of a happy family.

They depicted a face you recognized as a younger version of yours, with two people who looked vaguely like you. You grinned on one, smiled on the other, interacted with your parents. But you didn't remember when those pictures were taken, you didn't remember what you felt when they were taken, and you definitely didn't remember the people there with you. Were they loving? Were the three of you happy? You didn't know. And you had given up trying to remember sometime through high school.

Standing in front of your bedroom mirror, you removed your scarf and shirt, eyes pointedly avoiding the mess the was your neck and torso. Your hands moved robotically, applying moisturizer to the jagged scar that your scarf usually hid and to the others littered across your lower your stomach.

Your lips quivered as you struggled to hold back a whimper and your actions sped up. You hated the way they felt more than the way they looked.

Once your daily ritual was done, you dressed as quickly as you could and collapsed on your bed.


	4. Late Nights

It was early evening when your grandmother woke you up. She had just gotten back from her friend's house.

"Did your meeting with that boy go okay?" She inquired casually, standing in the door frame and not quite looking at you.

You shook your head.

"What happened?"

"He just brought some...stuff up." You mumbled.

She turned to face you, giving you a pitying look for half a moment before she remembered herself... and how much you hated those. "Do you want something to eat?"

You pretended not to notice. "Yes, please."

"Alright." She said and headed towards the kitchen.

As you walked past the pictures again, you pointedly ignored them, refusing to let them mock you.

Just then, you heard doorbell ring once, twice, thrice.

"(Y/n)! Get the door!" Your grandmother called from the kitchen.

"Okay." You said, half to yourself, and altered your course slightly. After checking the peephole, you opened the door, not being surprised at all to find Nami.

"(Y/n), what the fuck!" She said, irritated.

"Language!" Your grandmother shouted.

"Nice to see you, too." You muttered, brows knit together, closing the door behind her. After you turned around, she attacked you with cuddles, wrapping her arms around you. You stood there, uncomfortable, and patted her back.

"You think you could let go of me, now?" You asked.

"Ugh, (Y/n), don't scare me like that!"

"Like what?"

"I texted you two hours ago! Why didn't you respond? I thought you were dying or something!"

Glancing over at clock on the wall, you realized that your 'nap' had taken over five hours. You sighed, "I'm sorry. I was asleep."

"I brought my stuff; I'm sleeping over."

"Nami, that's really not necessary."

"Shhhh. What do you want to start the movie marathon with? Atlantis or Treasure Planet?"

"Treasure Planet..." You said, smiling a little.

"Excellent." Nami said, heading into the apartment, a small suitcase in tow.

"Hi, Nami." Your grandmother said as the two of you walked into the kitchen. Nami had already made herself comfortable and dropped her stuff off in your room.

"Hi, Grandma Hall." She responded.

At this point, she had spent so much time with you and at your house that your grandmother considered her a long lost sister of yours. Supposedly, you knew Nami before you lost your memories, but she never brought any of it up, because she knew how much you hated being told things about your life that you couldn't remember.

"Hungry?"

"Yes." Nami grinned.

 

 

You watched the adventuring young Jim Hawkins for a moment before turning to Nami. For some reason, even one of your favorite movies was not enough to make you happy today. All you could think of was the impending doom of tomorrow's therapist appointment.

"Do you want to talk or watch the movie?" Nami asked.

"Is it that obvious?" You inquired miserably.

"Yes. You might as well be pouting and giving me puppy-dog eyes." Nami said, looking over at you.

Sighing, you shook your head. "Your embellishments are ridiculous."

"You need ridiculous in your life."

After a slow nod, you smiled. "I suppose you're right."

"Suppose? You know I'm right." Nami's voice briefly became louder. "Hey, Grandma Hall, am I right?"

Your grandmother, who was in her room, responded just as loudly. "Yes."

You couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles at your friend and Grandma.

"I am always curious if she can actually hear us or if she just agrees on principle." Nami wondered aloud.

Since you were too busy laughing, you couldn't respond, but that offhand comment only made your laughter worse. In another moment, you were doubled over, laughing one of those rare, full belly laughs, with tears in your eyes.

"You okay there?" Nami asked, barely able to contain her own giggles. For some reason that just made you laugh more. The two of you laughed for several minutes until you were able to calm down.

"Back to the space adventurer?" You asked, feeling a little better.

Nami shrugged.

You watched Disney movies late into the night, which helped improve your mood. You didn't go to bed until it was three or four in the morning, by which point neither of you could keep your eyes open and had to quit mid-movie. As a matter of fact, you were so tired that you didn't actually remember what you were watching when you woke up.

Nami was still asleep when you shuffled off to make yourself some coffee. If you had dreams, you didn't remember them, so that was a good thing, since your dreams weren't usually very happy.

"Finally awake?" Your grandma asked, walking into the kitchen. Looking over to the clock, you noticed that it was already eleven. Only two more hours until you had to go to the therapist. Joy.

"Yeah. Nami and I stayed up late watching movies." You muttered, knowing that it was unnecessary.

"You always do." She smiled. It was good to see you acting as you normally did, and not how you were before Nami came by.

 

 

 

Ace woke up at one - something pretty normal for him, since he stayed up late whenever he could, and he frowned at the digital clock on the nightstand near his bed. He didn't want to leave his bed, or interact with his father, but he needed to take a shower. Hey, it would waste some potential "bonding" time. And so, he dragged himself out of bed and walked over the bathroom that was attached to his room.

Just like the large, extravagant bedroom, the bathroom was also huge and well-lit with big, tempered glass windows. Ace took off the necklace that he always wore - it had been his mother's and she wanted him to have it - the hibiscus flower charm glinting in the light as he put it down on the counter.

Turning the water on, he waited for it to get warmer before he took off his pajama pants and went inside the shower stall. The water was scalding as it hit his skin, and he stood under the spray, soaking his hair. All he could think about was you, and how shitty he felt about yesterday. But, at the same time, he wanted to get to know you better, to be able to talk to you without you getting mad at him or him upsetting you. Was that too much to ask for? He also wanted to know if you genuinely didn't know who he was or if you just didn't care. Would your manner towards him change if you found out? For some reason, he felt that it wouldn't...and he'd like that.

He pushed his fingers through the strands of his hair, pulling at the knots before reaching over for his shampoo. The shower stall was big, big enough to fit at least three people, depending on size, and oh, he had taken advantage of that before. But he wasn't thinking about that right now. No, he was thinking about how to avoid upsetting you.

While the insults were fine - he was thick-skinned enough for them not to bother him - he didn't want to see your eyes get that distant look again. Maybe if he just stuck to the assignment stuff, everything would be okay? Yeah, it would, but then he'd get bored.

Was it bad that he wanted to get to know one of the few people in his life that didn't try to become his friend for a selfish reason? Well, considering that you didn't want to be around him at all, maybe he was the one being selfish.

For just a moment, Ace focused on slowly rubbing the shampoo into his hair, the muscles of his arms twitching with every small movement. He loved showers - he always had time to think at a leisurely pace, to not be assaulted by all the various stimuli out there, in the world beyond his room. Best of all, he could be home and not have to interact with his asshole father. Grimacing, Ace put his head under the stream of water, already having gotten used to the temperature, and washed the bubbles out of his hair. He could feel them slip down his chest and back with the water.

Why is it that his father always somehow managed to interrupt private moments? Even when he wasn't even physically there? Fucking hell.

Now it was time for conditioner. Rubbing it into his hair, he decided to think about you instead...and why he was so desperate to befriend you. He couldn't deny that he found you attractive, and as bad as it was, he thought you looked cute when you were mad and flinging insults. Of course, there was always that big reason - you made him feel like a normal person, and not like Ace Gol.

Damn. He was back to this shit again.

Instead of thinking any longer, Ace decided to focus on his shower. Today was just a day that he couldn't dwell inside his own brain for too long without getting bitter and angry.

Once all the bubbles were washed off, Ace turned off the water and opened the door to the shower stall. He stepped out onto the mat in front of the door and then grabbed for the towel that was hanging right there. With a newly dry hand, he reached over to the screen built into the wall and turned on some music - he should have done that earlier. But hey. Now he really didn't have to make a concentrated effort not to think, he could just focus on the music.

Dry and with brushed teeth, he made his way over to his room, towel snug around his hips. The little light on his phone notifying him of a message was blinking, and he walked over and grabbed the device, really, truly hoping that it wasn't one of his "friends."

Oh. Marco. Good. "Wanna grab some lunch?"

His friend knew him too well. "Yeah. I'll meet you at the usual place in 15."

"Kay."

Ace threw on some clothes and grabbed his wallet, phone, and headphones before deciding that he was ready to make that trek outside. Well, it wasn't really a trek, but it was damn nerve-wracking having to look out for his father and avoiding him as best he could. Walking at a faster pace than usual, Ace glanced over his shoulder quickly, paranoid that he would have to suffer through some more "bonding." His father ignored him for most of his childhood and then decided a year ago that he needs to "be a dad" or some shit. Life would be so much easier if he didn't.

"Ace! There you are." A familiar voice called out.

 _Fuck_.

"If I didn't know any better...I'd think that you're ignoring me." The voice said, the low tone telling Ace that that was exactly what the owner thought.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

Ace put his hand on the doorknob just as his father placed his palm on the door, pushing on it.

"Sorry, I'm meeting Marco for lunch." Ace said, pulling on the quickly warming metal in the hopes that his father would just fuck off, but to no avail. Roger pushed on the door, keeping it closed.

Finally, Ace gave in and just looked up.


	5. A Study Of Friendships

****

Roger was looking at him, that irritating grin plastered on his face.

"Marco can wait." He said.

"Well, I can't." Ace responded, smile stretched thin. "I'm hungry."

"You should wake up at a human hour, then. Eat breakfast with me. The chef makes fantastic omelets." Roger started on one of his lectures.

Sighing with measured anger, Ace felt like some school kid that just got caught by his dad while sneaking a cookie. He waited impatiently for Roger to stop talking, pulling on the doorknob at regular intervals. Why did he have to deal with this?! He was twenty!

With a disappointed sigh, Roger cut his speech short, removing his hand from the door. "Make sure you come home. Tonight." He said and headed for his office. He had calls to make, even on his day off.

"Sure." Ace muttered to himself for particularly no reason, and slammed the door shut behind him.

By the time that he met Marco, he was late - as usual - and plopped down on the chair with vengeance, like everything was its fault...somehow.

Marco didn't bother bringing it up; he heard the same tirade time and time again, and, as much as he enjoyed Ace's company, if he could avoid being complained at, he would. Since Ace would always order the same thing, he had done him the service of grabbing the coffee and bagel - with cream cheese, a sunny side up egg, extra salmon, and a side of hash-browns - before he even got there. Instead of saying anything, Ace just angrily dug into his food.

By the time that the both of them were just drinking coffee, Marco decided to bring up something - rather, someone - that he was actually curious about.

"So, uh, that girl you and Sabo were discussing earlier..." He started.

Ace looked up from his phone. "Yeah?"

"Who is she?" Marco said casually.

"My cute, but grouchy, English partner."

Marco raised a brow. "So I've heard." He leaned forward. "Is that why you're okay with her calling you names, yoi?"

Ace smirked. "Are you worried about my self-esteem?" Marco was like one of his older brothers. He always jumped in to protect him; but only when he needed it.

"No. I just want to know why you deal with it. I wouldn't."

Having locked his phone, Ace took a long sip of coffee before saying anything. "I don't think she knows who I am."

"Ah." Marco gave his friend a knowing look.

"And she's smart. If we actually work together, we'll get a good grade."

Marco snorted. "Since when do you care so much about grades?"

"It wouldn't hurt to boost my GPA. Especially since this project is worth so much." Responded Ace with a shrug.

"But that's not the main reason why."

"...No." The freckled-face male looked down.

"Do you like her?"

"I don't know. Maybe?"

"Alright. I found out what I wanted to know."

"Is this the only reason you invited me here?" Ace deadpanned.

"Other than the fact that this is a regular part of the weekend, yoi? Yeah, sure."

Silent for a few moments, Ace said. "Why do you want to know?"

Marco shrugged in response. "Just curious, yoi. You hardly ever talk about girls aside from the annoying one-time flings."

"I kind of want to get to know her better." Ace said offhandedly after a minute or two.

"If only you could stop pissing her off yoi." Marco chuckled at Ace's expense. "Sabo was talking to Thatch about throwing another party soon. Perhaps you could get to know her more then."

Ace rolled his eyes. "Yeah, parties don't seem to be her thing." The raven took a sip from his coffee. "Actually, I don't think being around people for longer than she has to is her thing."

Marco chuckled before switching topics. "Oh by the way, how'd your meeting on Saturday go?"

His eyes darkened for a moment before he looked down at the table. "Uh."

Marco raised his eyebrows. "That good, huh?"

"She did that...thing that happened in the cafe the other day... where she just kind of shut down for a little while."

"Yeah? Sabo mentioned that she seemed distant when she wasn't cursing you, yoi. Do you know why?

"I don't... I was just making casual conversation and brought parents up since my dad was being a dick and made me late - she did not take kindly to that, let me tell you - and then she stopped talking."

Marco frowned. "That's rough. I wonder why."

Ace decided not to share his hypothesis with Marco, though. Instead, he continued. "And when I was getting coffee, some girl from my calc class recognized me." Cue the long-suffering sigh. "And (Y/n) was within earshot, so I was pretty worried about her overhearing."

"Did she?"

"No. She was wearing headphones when I got back to the table."

"That's lucky."

"Yeah."

"Or she knows and just doesn't care."

"I wouldn't mind that, either."

"I bet."

Ace made a face at Marco. "Is it illegal for me to want real friends?"

"No, but that would require people to not be assholes."

"That is a point."

You walked along the street with Nami, the both of you bundled up in warm boots, coats, and hats. The orange haired girl was ranting about how difficult it was watching her neighbor, Kokoro's, hyper granddaughter. As amused as you usually were by the way she vented, you were exhausted after the therapy session. Exhausted...but also a little happier. You decided that you were going to continue dealing with Ace - for better or worse - and try not to get angry with him so easily.

...at least, you were going to make a noble effort. People were often despicable and couldn't be trusted. A fact you know all too well.

"Let's get lunch." Nami said suddenly.

"Good idea." You responded. Right now, all you wanted was a nice cup of hot coffee.

The two of you ducked into a little cafe; it had food and hot drinks of decent quality that weren't too expensive. As soon as you were inside, you melted a little in your coat. It was so warm inside, and the scent of coffee mixed with the mouth-watering scent of fresh-baked bread brought a pleasant smile to your tired face. You hadn't eaten much before your appointment due to your anxiety, and now you quickly realized that you were starving.

"Ugh, I'm starving." grumbled Nami.

You chuckled a little.

Grinning, Nami turned to you. "You too?"

"Yeah." You chuckled to yourself.

Ace wasn't bothered by the burst of cool wind as someone came into the café, - and he wasn't interested enough to raise his head when he heard two feminine voices...rather familiar feminine voices.

As the two passed by though, he looked up, catching sight of you and Nami. He didn't say anything for he was too busy being shocked.

You were...smiling? And laughing? Holy shit. And your laugh - Ace ducked his head down, trying to make sure that you wouldn't notice him - your laugh was very...cute.

Conflicted. That was how Ace felt right then. Though he wanted to respect your request, Marco had just gone to the bathroom, and Ace didn't feel too keen on abandoning his best friend. On the other hand, he wanted to hear more of your laughter, and see more of your smile. It was the first time that he had witnessed either, and, to be frank, he wasn't sure that you were even capable of acting like that.

You were always so serious and so no-nonsense; except for those times when you would shut down. But you were with your best friend, so she probably knew how to help you relax. If only you could act like that around him. It wouldn't be so bad - it wouldn't be bad at all.

From the corner of his eye, he kept glancing over at the pair of you. Currently, you were engaged in conversation with Nami, and looked very animated. Though he couldn't hear what you were talking about, judging from Nami's consistent laughter, whatever you were talking about was funny. He smiled a little to himself as he looked down at his coffee; it would be nice if you were comfortable enough around him to crack jokes.

But, as quickly as you came, you left.

As Marco sat down, Ace made a thoughtful noise. "I think I do like her."

The only response Marco could provide was a slow raising of his eyebrows.


	6. Who Are You?

"I have made a decision." Ace proclaimed. "I'll be helpful, make sure not to bring up the stuff that makes her...weird, and I'll make myself a person that she can talk to." A determined smile settled on his lips.

"Good luck."

"Hey! I'll do it!" Freckled raven frowned.

"Whatever, dude." Marco rolled his eyes.

This conversation was inspiring him to do his best! Even if it's just to be able to say that he overcame the odds and befriended you.

Ace cleared his throat. "Let's go?"

Without another word, Marco stood. "Let me get another cup of coffee first. It's fucking cold outside."

"I think it's fine." Ace shrugged.

"Of course you do."

It was Tuesday afternoon and you sat in your front seat, off to the right, close to the door. You were slowly, sleepily clicking open the emails on your laptop, eyeing some, but deleting others by just glancing at the subject line.

_Fucking spam._

Quickly, you glanced over at the bottom right of your screen, where the time steadily announced itself.

_12:11 P.M._

Class will start in 4 minutes and people were slowly filtering in.

There were always a few that arrived after it was time for class to actually start, and the door would open, disturbing the relative silence of the class - save for the professor's talking - and then the professor would always glance over. Silently judging. Or not. Depended on the person.

You hated the sound of that damn door opening after the start of class. This was why you couldn't become a professor. After a few days of that, you'd just start throwing things at tardy students. And would most likely lose your job.

At 12:13 P.M. Ace walked in, Sabo in tow. You raised an eyebrow, wondering why Ace looked so smug, but didn't comment.

You were about to go back to your laptop when, surprisingly, Ace sat down next to you - Sabo nearby him, skipping a chair so he could throw his bag into it. Wrinkling your brow, you muttered a "Hi" and continued to sort through emails.

"Hello there." Sabo greeted cheerfully.

"Afternoon." Ace said, grinning in a very smug manner.

You frowned at your laptop, not turning to him to engage - just because you decided not to get angry at him anymore didn't mean that you were going to start being nice. Besides, you didn't particularly like people.

Nami was an exception. She wasn't "people," she was your best friend and understood your situation, navigating it with a grace you weren't sure you would be able to muster if the situation came up - and suddenly becoming nice was totally out of character. But, you did notice that Ace deflated slightly at your ignoring.

_He is up to something..._

Trouble was clearly written all over the freckled raven and you didn't like it.

"Looks like almost everyone is here." Professor Mihawk spoke, his golden eyes scanning over the room.

"We'll be looking at the elements of novels today." - He turned on the projector, letting it warm up before pulling up a PowerPoint - "Since your project focuses on producing one on a smaller scale."

With the lecture starting you opened a new document and started typing, temporarily forgetting about the suspicious freckled raven next to you.

"Can someone tell me what makes a novel a novel?" Inquired the professor.

After a short pause someone finally spoke. "It has characters."

"Good." Professor Mihawk didn't sound too satisfied.

"A plot?" An unsure voice said.

"Yes."

You raised your hand and were instantly called on. "Novels are long."

"Yes."

"And fictional." You added.

It continued like this until all the little aspects of novels were squeezed out of the class.

"And so, these are the elements that you have to be sure to include." - Professor Mihawk came to stand in front of the projected PowerPoint - "Of course, the scale is smaller in the case of your project. Novels don't just have plots, but they also have subplots - they're complicated. While you don't have to include subplots, they can be very helpful to improving your story. And might help with issues of length requirements."

Though you were aware of these things, you still included them into your notes.

"Now, the name 'novel' is rather funny. What it actually means is something new, and when novels were first being written, they were called no-vel. So, it stuck. Well, in English. In French and Spanish, I believe, the name is different." He explained.

The Professor proceeded to explain who the intended readers at the time were, and how novels were usually written about love, and the narration focused on maintaining as much realism as possible.

"Now, I'd like for you to work with your partner and get some more of that proposal ready for Thursday."

You suppressed a groan. This was the part that you were dreading.

"Good thing we worked on this on Saturday." Ace commented happily.

"Yeah..." You responded. Pulling up the document, you slowly looked it over. In terms of what the assignment asked for, you were done, but there was still lots of work to do. You glanced over at Ace from the corner of your eye, a little concerned. He wasn't...doing anything... There was no pestering you to talk, no being annoying...

"Who are you, and what did you do to Ace?" You asked.

He looked at you like you grew another head. "Uh...nothing?"

In response, you stared at him, and he just stared at you. The two of you were sitting in silence for a few moments before you sighed. "Well, we might as well continue working on the characters."

Now, it was Ace's turn. "Who are you, and what did you do to (Y/n)?"

You narrowed your eyes, letting out a huff. "I am the same person."

"You sure?" He inquired, cocking a brow.

1, 2, breathe. 1, 2, breathe. "Yes."

"You're definitely acting funny."

"Are you. Trying to. Make. Me. Angry?"

For a moment, he sat in silence before he grinned. "Alright, I believe you; you're you."

Rolling your eyes, you started to calm down a bit. Ace really was trying your patience and the fact that something was clearly off, didn't make you feel comfortable.

Once class was over, he threw his stuff into his bag and then waited for you to finish packing up your various things and scribbles. Though you tried to ignore him, his not-subtle-hovering was rather bothersome.

"Do you need something?" You inquired, not bothering to look up at him.

"Do you have class after this?" He asked.

Scrunching up your nose and furrowing your brow, you finally made eye-contact. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"I would." he grinned.

"I do have class." You said, not wishing to play games.

"And it starts in" - You glanced over at the clock on the wall - "eight minutes. If you wish to continue this discussion, then I suggest you start walking." Lifting your somewhat heavy bag and adjusting your scarf, you set off towards the door, Ace following close behind. He appeared to be rather lost in thought; all the better: he couldn't bother you.

That being said, it was pleasant walking with someone. You didn't have to pretend to be engrossed in your phone in order to avoid accidental eye-contact.

"Well what about after this class?" He asked.

"I usually go home unless Nami wants to drag me to a club meeting of some sort." You responded.

"I didn't take you for a club-person." He commented.

"I'm not, but she is. Sometimes she drags me along, saying it's a good way to make friends and take a break from studies. I don't feel the need to socialize much though."

You waited for some sort of teasing or sarcastic response only to not get one. From the corner of your eye, you could see Ace nodding. "I don't have many friends either."

"I highly doubt that."

He laughed briefly. "You can believe what you like, but it's true."

"Hmm." Glancing over to him, you didn't see any sort of irritating expression. Actually, he looked a bit dejected. You decided to believe him for now. "Do you have class now?" you inquired as you made your way up the stairs.

"Yeah."

Now that irked you. "Then why did you ask if I did?"

"I was willing to skip it if you were willing to hang out and chat."

You clicked your tongue with disapproval and rolled your eyes. "You should go to class."

"Perhaps." He gave you a small smile.

"This is my stop."

Ace nodded. "I'm down the hall from here."

"I'm not going to regret showing you where I have class, am I?" You deadpanned.

He shrugged, flashing you a mischievous smirk.

"Ace..."

"Don't worry. Meet me here after class?"

You said nothing, realizing how civil the two of you were being.

Ace took your silence for reluctance. "Sabo, Nami, and Zoro can join us, too. We can all go get lunch."

Stirring from your thoughts, you slowly nodded. "Alright."

He waved goodbye with a big grin as you rolled your eyes and walked into your class, trying to remember what you had read last night for homework.

You wondered why he was so quick to suggest your friends joining you. Did he not have ulterior motives?

You shook your head.

_...no. No. No. He's just smarter than I give him credit for._

_Right?_

You've had experience with guys who shared the same qualities as Ace. They were always nice, charming, and just overall enthusiastic about being around people. Everyone loved them. Some of them were actually 'good guys'... but not all of them... and you couldn't always see past their charisma until it was too late.

 _Fuck_. What the hell were you thinking?

You shook your head to shake off all those thoughts. Your attention needed to be on your studies right now. Besides, there is a small possibility he isn't like  _that._  Afterall, he behaved today when most wouldn't, and Nami knows him and Luffy pretty well. Having been around them more than a handful of times, she would know more about their personal lives right?

You sighed, sitting yourself down and pulling out your materials. You'll just have to find out over lunch.


	7. Coffee IV Drip

It was pleasant, all of you sitting around together, chatting over lunch. As a matter of fact, you almost forgot how much Ace irritated you... Almost.

He stole the seat next to you from Nami, who in response, only shrugged and sat down next to between Zoro and Sabo. You stared at Ace with your best unamused expression, internally disappointed that Nami just let this happen. You had specifically asked her to sit next to you in order to avoid being so close to Ace.

You rolled your eyes, taking a deep breath in through your nose exhaling through your mouth. As you did so, you reminded yourself that you were going to just be nice and try and not get too angry. Ace had been pretty alright during class and was an ok walk-and-talk buddy in the halls earlier, so this lunch shouldn't be too bad.

Picking up your menu, you began perusing it with great interest, because, really, there was quite a lot to read through here. It was fairly ridiculous. Choosing something to eat was suddenly a herculean task.

Unlike you, Ace had been here before quite a few times, and had a few dishes he cycled through that he liked the best. Choosing lunch wasn't hard for him. And so, he casually glanced over at you, watching as you raised an eyebrow or wrinkled your nose in response as you read. Your face was very expressive.

At that moment, Nami looked up to see Ace looking at you and all your faces. She snorted quietly, amused at the sight before her, and alerted Zoro, and subsequently Sabo, to the fact that something was going on. Looking up at her, the two quickly found the source of her entertainment. Now, with three sets of eyes looking at him, Ace felt the combined force of their stares and discovered that both Nami and Sabo were smirking. Zoro cocked an eyebrow up in confusion, not having caught on yet.

Ace knew why Sabo was smirking, but it seemed as though Nami figured out his motivations herself. He casted an annoyed frown to the three as their snickers from the other side of the table attracted your attention.

Wrinkling your brows, you looked from Nami to Sabo. A quick glance towards a mildly confused Zoro told you nothing new. The last person you glanced at was staring at his menu in determination.

But why?

Something odd was going on, you knew that much, but now that everyone returned to their menus, it was difficult to figure out exactly what.

Damn them all.

Pausing, you tossed a glare at Nami - who pretended not to notice -and turned back to your menu once again. Holy shit. Why were there so many options?

"What are you having?" You didn't ask this question of anyone in particular, but Ace spoke up first.

"Uh..." - He leaned so close so quickly that you didn't realize his proximity until he was flipping the pages of your menu - "I'm getting this burger." Ace pointed to a burger that was almost nauseatingly filled with spicy extras. "Their sandwiches and burgers are pretty good. If you've never been here before, they're worth a try."

His fingers were still hovering above your menu, and all you could think about how close he was. Not only was his hand just far enough from yours to still touch it, but the arm connected to the hand was practically on top of your arm. Ace smiled, slightly confused at your complete physical shutdown. "You okay?"

"Uh. Yeah." You tried to stare at the category that his arm was hiding, and found it difficult to see past it. "Your arm is not see-through, you know," you added.

"Oh." Ace's hand quickly closed into a half-fist, and he moved back. "Sorry." He said with a slightly flustered chuckle.

Was it just you, or were his cheeks suspiciously pink?

You felt yourself shrug. "No worries." You said, feeling a little more at ease now.

"I'm getting pasta if anyone cares." Nami snickered and turned to talk with Zoro.

Sabo on the other hand kind of just rolled his eyes and took out his phone.

You hadn't noticed how bored Sabo was, but Ace did, and he felt bad. While they engaged in conversation about some mutual friend or something, all you could think about was your weirdness. Usually, you didn't like people touching you or anything, but with Ace your brain just shut down. All you could think about the heat that seemed to radiate from his skin. He was close, and you didn't mind.

It was fucking weird.

Before, all your mental effort went into not snapping at him. But right now, it was hard to think when he was around.

As of yet, you couldn't decide if this was a welcome change.

Your eyes slowly made contact with your best friend's. Nami gave you a small smile. Almost...encouraging or something weird like that. What did she have to encourage you about? It's not like you and Ace were anything...anything much to each other.

Ugh. Everyone was acting so weird. You didn't like it. You wanted it to just be normal.

Thursday of the next week was a special sort of hell for you.

No, Ace didn't do anything. He was actually being a wonderful partner. He provided some really good suggestions, and his ability to catch onto tiny grammar mistakes and awkward sentences was rather impressive. You had sorely underestimated him.

Anyway.

You were in hell because you were an idiot and never did your essay on time. So you ended up staying up till four o'clock in the morning working on a particularly pesky paper.

Right now, you were basically a zombie with a caffeine addiction. You'd set up a coffee IV drip if it were possible.

Your tired thoughts droned around in your head as you dragged your feet to class.

_What time was it?_

_Who knew?_

_What direction am I even going in?_

_Who cares?_

_Would I get to class on time?_

_Again: who cares?_

_What is class, even?_

As you passed a particularly comfy-looking couch, you paused and eyed it, forcing your exhausted brain to figure out the pros and cons of just laying down and taking a nap.

"Hey Ace!" You jumped when you heard a voice call out. The voice was loud and unpleasant, and holy shit, everything was just so damn shocking right now.

"Oh. Hey."

You recognized this new voice. Well. It's not really a new voice, and more like a voice that used to piss you off every 5.5 seconds once upon a time.

"I saw you parking near school today."

"Oh. Alright." Ace sounded sooooo happy to be talking right then.

"That is one nice car. Would you be willing to let me take it for a drive?"

"Hah. No."

Nice car? How nice?

"Oh, come on."

"I said no. And I have to get to class."

"Why do you care? You're late to class all the time."

"I just do. Alright?"

You looked over your shoulder at the hoodie-clad form that was making its way towards you.

Though he got closer and closer, you just watched him walk. Oh, so you were going in the right direction. Muscle memory, am-I-right?

"Hey, are you spying on me?" Ace grinned down at you.

You frowned. Welp. You were caught. "No..." You responded after some consideration.

For a moment, Ace studied your face. "Are you okay?" He looked serious all of a sudden. "Is everything fine?"

"Uh," - You just stared at him with a slack-jawed look - "Yeah. Just really fuckin' tired."

"Oh." All of a sudden, he was smiling softly again. "You did mention that you had a paper due today."

"That I do."

"Come on." Ace started walking to class, and you followed.

"Are we late?" You inquired after him. Being tired was really getting to you, and you couldn't keep up with his pace.

"Probably."

"Shit."

"It's fine, Ms. Honors Student. You can be late once in a blue moon."

You sighed. "I shouldn't be though."

"Maybe you should just get some sleep."

"Nah. I'll just sleep through the entire day."

"I can sit with you and wake you up before your next class."

That was rather tempting. But wait... What if your scarf loosened around your neck while you were sleeping? The other students would see.

And Ace would, too.

Would he find the scar disgusting? Would he stare at your neck all the time after that, like some people? Would he ask about it?

...you didn't want to find out.

"No." You muttered. A frown settled itself into the lines of your mouth.

Ace looked over his shoulder. He didn't understand why you suddenly looked like that, but he decided to not question you. "Alright."


	8. Heavy Eyes

Perhaps you should have taken Ace up on his offer and let him sit next to you. Your eyes fluttered about as you struggled to keep them open. You could hardly hear what the content of the Professor's lecture and your fingers were no longer typing comprehensible words - gibberish language full of "ascgoodn" and "tonknowmki" was now abundant in your notes.

_Just a few moments... maybe I can get away with a few moments of rest..._

Your inner thoughts were belligerent. One part of you wanted to leave early and regain the sleep you lost while the other part was adamant that you stay until the very end of your day, like the good Honors Student you were. The latter thoughts were losing...

It felt as though a heavy cloud were resting on your eyelids, weighing them down as your vision started to sink into a black abyss of -

_SLAM!_

You jolted upright with a gasp, scooting back so abruptly you nearly hit your head against the wall that separated your row from the upper one behind you.

_The fucking hell?_

"Portgas." The sharp snarl of the Professor cut through the lecture room. "I do hope, for your sake, that rude interruption was an accident."

"My apologies, Professor Mihawk, but it would appear that I miscalculated how much elbow room I needed to write my notes."

An expression of pure disbelief with a hint of 'are-you-fucking-serious' overtook the Professor's face. A beat of silence passed before Mihawk spoke again. "Come up with a better excuse next time you decide to interrupt my lecture, and, -" Mihawk turned and leaned back against his desk, "- since you are actually taking notes, you can tell me the answer to question five of the passage, "The Dodsons and Tullivers," we have been analyzing."

"Hmm, most certainly." He looked way too prideful as he spoke. "By commenting that the Dodsons viewed the things described in lines 23-28 as being "of equal necessity," the narrator is emphasizing the Dodsons' tendency not to distinguish between the spiritual and the practical."

If you squinted, you could probably see the Professor's eye twitch just slightly, causing ever so small ripple in his façade of boredom. "Astoundingly correct."

With that, the Professor went about his lecture and you were actually more awake now, having been jolted to the present from Ace accidentally dropping his books on the floor. Though, if you were being honest, it seemed as though Ace didn't accidentally drop his books. You took a quick peek over your shoulder only to find him staring at you with... concern?

You quickly turned back around and went back to your notes, deleting the gibberish from earlier.

Class concluded 45 minutes later.

You went about your normal routine, packing up everything, - a bit more sluggish than usual - when you felt a familiar presence standing nearby.

"Can I help you?" You asked.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine." You rolled your eyes. "I'm tired, yes, but I'll sleep when I'm done with my classes. I only have two more today." You slid your bag on your shoulder and started walking to your next class, Ace walking next to you.

"Look, I know class is important to you, but I also know you can do much better when you're more awake." You threw him a glare but felt too tired to come up with a snarky remark. "You would also be better at insulting me."

That actually made you smile some.

"It's not going to hurt anyone if you head home for the rest of the day. Besides, I'm sure that your Professor's would completely understand you calling in sick for today and would give you notes for what you missed." Ace reasoned.

He wasn't wrong... Being an Honors Student and a teacher's pet had its perks.

"I suppose one day wouldn't hurt... especially since it's for a legit reason..." You scrunched your eyebrows together in a frown. You didn't like the thought of skipping, but you also didn't trust your ability to stay awake in your next few classes.

"Alrighty then! let's go."

_"What?"_  You hissed at him as he gently nudged your shoulder and turned.

"I'm gonna give you a ride home."

"Like hell you are. Both of us aren't skipping classes today."

You had to admit, the gesture was nice, and you could appreciate it - especially since you have been on better terms with Ace as of late - but the thought of him taking you home... didn't sit too well with you. You had to really know and be comfortable around someone before you could let them near your place of living.

"Contrary to popular opinion, I'm actually doing pretty alright in my classes so far this semester. Look, (y/n), I'm not asking you to skip with me to hang out and do something fun, -" Ace countered, "- I'm asking you to let me help you make it home safe and ensure your zombified self won't wander into the wrong house and scare someone half to death."

 

You couldn't help the light chuckle that passed through your lips as you caved, telling yourself that it's a one-time thing and it probably won't be too bad since the raven has been tolerable lately. "Fine, I will allow you to give me a ride home. But just this once!"

 

 

Ace couldn't remember the last time someone didn't comment on his car. The sleek burnt orange camaro with tinted black windows, always drew attention from onlookers. However, you just sat yourself down in the passenger seat without a word, waiting for the Raven to situate himself to begin giving him directions to your house.

The drive was relatively quiet, rock music from the radio played at low volume, providing good background noise. Ace wanted to talk but, for once, he couldn't find a good enough conversation starter. The freckled faced idiot just ended up blurting out the first thing that came to mind, which was:

"So... not a camaro fan?"

_Real smooth..._

You languidly turned to give him the best deadly glare you could muster at the moment. "Ya'know, not all of us care about what a car looks like as long as it can get us from point A to point B and gets decent miles per gallon. But if you really must have my opinion, then, -" you paused for a moment, "- I must say, it is obnoxiously conspicuous just like yourself."

Ace chuckled at that. "Ok, fair enough. That was probably not the best question to ask."

You huffed before turning back to look out the window. "Just drive the speed limit and take a right up here."

You were at the mailbox of your grandma's house in no time.

"Alright, here we are... Do you... need anything else?" Ace questioned.

"I think I'm good... Thanks." You replied.

"No problem! Go get some rest, and I guess I'll see you around."

Ace watched you walk up the porch stairs and into your house, his attention only drawn away from your retreating form when his ringtone sounded.

Ace frowned at the name - the name of someone he had no interest in talking to - and threw his phone to the passenger seat before driving off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm still alive even though I am having a shit week. Anyway, enjoy this double update which hopefully makes up for some of my prolonged absence.


	9. Rainy Days

 

_Rain gracefully falls from the darkening clouds before splattering against the passenger window. It's only just started._

_There was no thunder or lightning to warn anyone of its arrival._

_It came as if it could read the noise a young girl was desperately trying to cancel out with her headphones. That thought made her frown._

_Why must the rain always be associated with sadness?_

_Why can it not be associated with something more happy or beautiful?_

_After all, it's only on rainy days that you get to see a rainbow._

_The clear drops fell silently at first, but as the car sped up, so did the rain. It went from a quiet 'pitter-patter' to a thunderous teeming. The young girl glanced away from the window briefly, looking towards the front. The tempo of the rain was practically in-tuned with whatever nonsense was going on up front._

_A female arm waved out and met the shoulder of a dark male figure. Said female's hands would occasionally run through her hair and down her face, which was probably full of ire. The male's arm occasionally unfurled in a sharp manner. His face was probably red with ire as well. His ears were certainly red._

_It almost looked like an artistic dance full of contrast, and as long as she kept her headphones on, she could pass it off as such..._

 

****

 

The gentle pattering of rain against your bedroom window woke you up. It was barely dark outside which meant you probably slept until the early evening.

You sat up with a slight groan and stretched your arms up. Your head felt a little groggy, but that's a common symptom of day-long naps for you.

An achy, light-headed feeling trailed after the grogginess as you gradually stood up and made your way out to the kitchen. Even though you didn't feel like it, you knew you had to eat a little something. Even though it wouldn't make up for the fact that you haven't eaten all day, it would help with the grogginess.

Your grandma was sitting at the small kitchen table pressed against the back wall with a steaming cup of tea and a book in front of her. When she realized you were nearby, she flashed you one of her sweet smiles.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked.

"I suppose. It's a shame I slept this late. Hopefully my sleep schedule won't get thrown off entirely." You replied.

"Hmmm. Well, sometimes that can't be helped." She hummed. "There's some Italian wedding soup in the fridge you can heat up and there's still some hot water in the kettle, I only just turned it off. Help yourself, dearie."

"Thanks gran. What are you reading?" You asked as you went about heating up leftovers.

"It's something someone in my book club suggested." She turned the cover towards you. " _Sister Outsider._  I'm quite enjoying it so far."

"I think I've heard of it, but I haven't read it." You replied.

"You can borrow it when I'm done if you want."

When the microwave dinged you carefully picked up your bowl and made your way over to the table with some decaf tea and hot soup.

"How is the new semester going so far?" Your grandma asked as she blew on her tea.

"It's alright I suppose." You sighed. "Things have started to get busy, but there's nothing new to really talk about."

"Hmmm, really now?" She quirked a brow.

You gave her a look that could be interpreted as 'yes, really'.

"I may be old, but I'm not dulling yet." She responded. "If there's anything you would like to talk about, you know you can always confide in me."

You give a small bittersweet smile. "I know Gran... Things really have just become rather busy lately. I can still manage though."

"You know I wasn't just referring to school."

"I don't have anything else to talk about."

"It may be hard, but sometimes the best way to get through something is to talk about it. It can help untangle the mess." She said.

"I don't want to talk about that right now please. I see my therapist in two days, and that's where I talk about... things." You said.

"Very well then."

Your grandma would occasionally try to talk to you, try to get you to "untangle the mess" and sometimes it did help. Sometimes, talking to someone who was present throughout your life and who could remember things you couldn't helped. Nami was also one of those people. But there were times when you just hated talking about a past you couldn't remember.

About what lead you to have the mental blocks and experience mental shutdowns today.

You didn't want it to define you.

You turned to bring your empty dishes to the sink to wash when your grandma jumped. "Oh! I nearly forgot. A young man stopped by earlier asking if you were feeling better."

You nearly dropped the bowl you were drying.

"He also wanted me to tell you that he added some things to your project you may like."

You huffed. "We'll see."

Grandma giggled. "He was very cute you know."

"Just because he is good looking doesn't mean he is a good guy. He's a nuisance and a hooligan."

"Ha! A hooligan? What are you fifty?" Your grandma chuckled.

"He is!"

"What are some of his hooligan attributes." Your grandma crossed her arms as a playful smile settled on lips.

"He flirts with everyone, probably parties a lot, and..." you had to think for a moment here. He hasn't been skipping classes lately. Actually, he was being more attentive in English class. He was also doing his best to give you space when you needed, and he was doing his part of the project.

"He's just radiates mischief." You concluded.

"Hmm, you know, not all books can be judged by their covers." Grandma responded.

 

****

 

You felt ten times better than the last time you sat down in English class. You managed catch up on most of the work you missed yesterday after your classes, so hopefully you won't be too lost during today's lecture.

While you waited for class to start you pulled up the shared document for the novelette, curious to see what Ace had added. You were actually a bit surprised to find that he even worked on it without you. Then again, Ace has been surprising a little here and there.

He still seemed like trouble, but less so than you originally thought. He was actually attending classes and he was actually putting forth an effort to do his share of work for the project.

The latest work he did, was write a chapter detailing the antagonist and giving him a back story. It was not entirely cliché and aside from some typos that you scowled at, it was actually pretty good.

You were in the middle of editing the work when the door to the classroom burst open loud enough to startle you and those already present.

"Portgas! There are better ways to make an entrance. If you damage my classroom door, you pay for it." Professor Mihawk scowled from his desk.

"Sorry." Ace grumbled out.

_Oh..._

Someone was not in a good mood.

Ace's head hung lower. His bangs were pulled down closer to his face, almost covering his sharpened eyes. His lips were twisted into a frown from what you could see. He trudged over to his seat and sat down, slamming his books down on the desk.

_Someone is definitely not in a good mood today..._

Mihawk began the lecture for the day right at class time, as usual. You were only half paying attention though, for curiosity kept you wondering about what put Ace in a pissy mood this morning.

It wasn't that you cared about him. He wasn't a friend...

But he was your project partner, and his mood might affect said project.

You bit your lip as you glanced from Mihawk to your phone that was charging in front of your laptop. You never used your phone in class. But you didn't know if you'd be able to catch Ace at the end of class if he decided to storm off.

Cautiously you typed up a message:

_'Hey, are you alright?'_

You glanced over your shoulder as subtly as you could, waiting to see if he reacted. He did.

He glanced at his phone as it vibrated and flashed your message.

He then glanced up at you, his frown lessening some as he gave a curt nod. With that you turned your full attention back to the lecture. Ten minutes later though, your phone vibrated as a message appeared on screen.

_'I'm ok. just some shit at home...'_

_'...Can we talk after class?'_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Finally updated this!
> 
> Hopefully this update is ok. I had to re-write it a few times. The next update is already in the works, and it may also be dialog heavy, but hopefully it will start to tie things together. I can not say when it will be published though.


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